Thanator
The thanator is a creature that lives on Pandora. Although many regions of the moon have yet to be explored, xenobiologists currently believe that it may be the apex land predator on Pandora. Reminiscent of a Terran panther, this enormous, powerful animal is unique in its ability to lord over its territory and strike fear into the largest and fiercest of Pandora's creatures. Even the Na'vi, who are renowned for their courage, are shaken by the approach of the creature. Anatomy Its musculature is pronounced and impressive, providing power for protracted runs and leaps. The speed of its neck and jaw strike is swift. In addition to conventional ripping and tearing, the thanator can also deliver a lethal blow from its armored tail. The thanator's senses are so highly developed that, depending on atmospheric conditions, it can detect prey up to thirteen kilometers away. The thanator has ten sensory quills that sprout from sections of armor plating that encircle the rear of its skull. The function of the quills is still a mystery, but it has been hypothesized that they may be tied to an internal mechanism of prey location. The quills also flare up and produce a more menacing appearance. It also has an armored neck and back, a massive distensible jaw, and twenty-three centimeter long sharp teeth. The thanator has burnished black skin. Its ten external sensory quills are colored bright red and yellow. The upper lip folds back for maximum tooth extension. The Na'vi, who are around 9 to 10 feet (3 meters) tall, could ride on the back of one of these beasts, making the thanator approximately 20 feet (6 meters) long. It has six long legs, and two sets of opercula on each side of its neck. Habitat The thanator mainly inhabits the rainforest floor, though similar species have been observed in subarctic regions. Hunting habits The thanator appears to hunt alone and normally does not stray outside of its territory, which is believed to be roughly 300 square kilometers. It appears to hunt mainly at night, although seems to make an exception if hungry enough. Notes *The thanator is the most fearsome of all Pandoran land predators. *Wide, armored tail can slam prey or defend against other thanators. *Cartilaginous plates around its neck that can flare, possibly as a threat display but more likely as an echolocation or other sensory pinpointing system. Role in the film Jake Sully is chased by a thanator during his first mission on Pandora. He narrowly escapes from the predator by jumping down a waterfall. Neytiri also bonds with a thanator after her banshee, Seze, is killed during the final battle between the RDA and Na'vi. She uses the thanator to fight Colonel Quaritch, but he stabs it to death with his AMP suit knife. Trivia General *Its name, thanator, likely comes from the Greek word θάνατος thánatos, meaning "death." *The thanator was originally known as a manticore in the Project 880 script and had a large, scorpion-like tail. *The roar used for the thanator in Avatar is very similar to the one previously used for the T.rex in the film Jurassic Park. *The original scriptment, by James Cameron, mentions that the thanator could beat a T.rex easily and have the Alien Queen for breakfast. *The comparison between the thanator and T.rex seems to be a recurring theme: in Avatar: The Game, another character says it's "about as cuddly as a T.rex." *In "The Art of Avatar," by Lisa Fitzgerald, the thanator is referred to as James Cameron's "baby" because he produced the original sketches and color schemes for the thanator. *In a deleted scene from the Extended Collector's Edition, Neytiri's thanator pulls Lyle Wainfleet out of his AMP suit and crushes him. Games *In the Avatar Game for the iPod/iPhone, one Na'vi has a baby thanator as a pet. This may mean it is possible that the Na'vi could tame thanators from an early age. *Their main habitat is the Valley of the Thanators. de:Thanator fr:Thanator nl:Thanator pl:Thanator Category:Avatar Category:Creatures Category:Transportation Category:Avatar: The Game